Sweetly Departed
by Spirited Cetra
Summary: The well was sealed, trapping Kagome back in her world. Although...she brought someone back with her: a child, InuYasha's child. In a violent storm, 16 year old Higurashi Yuki is thrown into the well where she must cope with her mother's past and Japan's
1. Chapter 1

AN: Okay, well summaries are a bit tough for me so please don't judge this story by the summary, I've written it once before and i'm taking a second shot at it (improved I wrote it over 3 years ago I've given it a make over)

IT WILL MOVE KIND OF SLOW IN THIS CHAPTER. But that's because I have to set everything up, don't judge the plot by this chapter kay? PLEASE READ AND REVIEW :)

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Yuki gazed herself in the mirror, leaning over the counter as she fiddled with a small ocular case. Gently using her nails she pulled out a tan lens, using her free hand to lift her lid and blink the contact into her right eye. Using her arms to lift her midnight hair she studied her features with a sigh. "I don't understand, Kaa-san," she whispered to herself, looking at herself from the right angle. She looked like her mother with the same graceful chin and the same porcelain skin, yet when she switched to her left point of view she saw someone different, someone she didn't recognize. Through her golden eye she could plainly see they didn't belong to Hojo, nor her small rounded nose that had an extraordinary sense of smell. She shook her head of her wandering thoughts, angrily tossing her pajamas aside before slipping carelessly into her uniform. She flung the bathroom door open, hurrying downstairs while throwing her hair up into a ponytail.

"Yuki-chan!" Kagome chimed, hearing her daughter's stampede down the stairs. "Are you going to have breakfast this morning?" she asked just as Yuki passed her, noticing her daughter deliberately avoided eye contact. Yuki plopped down onto the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table and clicking the TV on. Kagome sighed to herself, fiddling with the knot behind her neck trying to fight the apron off. "Yuki," she groaned, coming free of the apron and setting it onto the table, strolling over to Yuki. She set a gentle, yet firm, hand onto her daughter's shoulder, kneeling so they were at the same level. "Yuki-chan, do you want to talk about it?" she questioned worriedly. Yuki ignored her mother, her thumb harshly pressing the next button on the remote, trying to act as if there was something interesting on. "Yuki," Kagome stated sternly, snatching the remote away and pushing her feet off of the coffee table. Yuki's chocolate eyes glowered angrily up at Kagome, crossing her arms indignantly. "Yuki listen—" Kagome started when she was interrupted by an abrupt series of knocks on the door.

"That's my ride," Yuki responded monotonously, standing quickly.

Snatching up her briefcase she quickly headed toward the door, her hand gripping the knob. Kagome hastily slammed her hand onto the door, preventing it from opening. "Yuki listen to me,"

"Kaa-san, I _have_ to go to school," Yuki growled, locking eyes with her mother before forcing the door open, easily outdoing her mother's strength. "I'll be back after school," with that she left, slamming the door shut behind her. Kagome grit her teeth, throwing her hands up in the air with frustration before angrily punching the door. She sighed in defeat, her features loosening as her hand slid down the door.

"I'm sorry Yuki-chan, I didn't mean to…" she whispered to herself.

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"Yuuuukkii…." The boy on the other side of the door cooed, catching Yuki into his strong hold when she attempted to storm pass him. He stared down at her lovingly with his honey toned eyes, affectionately brushing her bangs out of her face. Yuki sighed, her gaze softening before relaxing against his touch, closing her eyes.

"Gomen ne, Yui-chan," she spoke softly, averting her eyes to the ground.

"Hey, Mami, don't worry about it," Yuichiro said softly, pulling away enough to lock eyes with her. "Let's go to school, and then afterward how about a night on the town with Tsunekawa Yuichiro. Sound promising?" he offered, leaning down to kiss her cheek, the corners of Yuki's lips slightly pulling into a smile.

"Alright…" she responded with a light blush, giving an ear-to-ear smile, nervously biting her lower lip. The skies above were gray, a low rumble being heard from the distance but noticed by none as the clouds crawled by slowly. She walked down the grovel path to the driveway, slipping into the passenger seat of the beat up BMW. "When are you going to get a new car?" Yuki questioned with a smug smile upon her face. Yuichiro cringed, putting the keys into the ignition and bringing the car to life.

"When I get a job," he shot back with a small chuckle, ripping out of the driveway and skidding into traffic.

The day had drawled on more than usual for Yuki, the quick-tempered girl snatching up her bag and walking hurriedly toward the student parking lot when the last bell rang.. "I hate this school, and I hate stupid people…" she groaned to herself, slowing down when she felt Yuichiro grab her hand from behind. He caught up, walking next to her with an umbrella overhead.

"Why do you have that it's not even—" Yuki stopped mid-sentence with a smirk of irony as she could hear the small patter on the nylon material, and a low snicker from Yuichiro.

"Still up for tonight?"

"Like I promised," she responded walking carelessly into the mouth of the parking lot, receiving a honk. She returned the honk with the quick flip of her finger, smiling to herself with amusement as she waited by the car.

Once they had made it home she leaned over to the driver's seat, resting her hand on Yuichiro's cheek before giving him a small peck. She flashed a quick smile before hurrying out of the car, holding her briefcase overhead to shield herself from the rain as she ran up the pathway to her house. She fumbled with her keys, stopping and turning when she heard a small mewl from behind her. She smiled, crouching as a black feline scampered up to her, rubbing against her hand as if starved for affection. "Oh, such an abused kitty aren't you, Boo?" Yuki cooed sarcastically as she shoved the keys into the door, pushing it open. She allowed the cat to prance inside, shutting the door behind her and shaking herself off.

Kagome turned the corner with a soft smile, wiping her hands on a dishrag. "Welcome home, Yuki-chan," she stated simply, setting the cloth down and strolling into the living room.

"Ano…Mama?" Yuki gulped, taking a deep breath before taking a seat next to her mother on the couch. Kagome turned with watchful eyes, showing she was listening, though looked less than pleased. "I…" Yuki gave a frustrated sigh, her chin drooping to her chest. "I'm sorry about this morning," she grumbled beneath her breath. A smug smile crossed the elder woman's face, sitting straight while crossing her arms.

"What was that Yuki?"

"I'm sorry!" she said louder, knowing her mother was taunting her. Kagome then gave a genuine smile, pulling Yuki into a hug. Yuki hated to apologize, she couldn't help she had a gargantuan wall of pride.

"It's alright Yuki…I can understand why you feel frustrated. I'm sorry I've waited so long," she soothed, leaning forward and carefully tilted her daughter's head back. With quick precision, she pulled the darkened contacts out of Yuki's eyes, cupping her cheeks. Yuki melted in her mother's touch, her eyes drifting half-mast. "These are the eyes I love to see each morning, not the one's you put on for the day. But you have to understand—" Yuki's whole body jerked when a loud roaring thunder echoed throughout the old house.

"Oh, damn," Yuki cursed through grit teeth as she swiftly pulled a blanket around her form. "I fucking hate storms…" she snarled to herself. Kagome gave a giggle to herself, standing and heading toward the kitchen when the lights began to flicker before the house was plunged into darkness. Boo leaped up onto the back of the couch near Yuki's head, purring loudly as he licked his paw, cleaning his face. "You're a douchebag,"

"_You're a cunt,"_ Yuki's eyes widened to the size of quarters, slowly turning to the cat whose golden eyes bore into hers.

"What did you say?" Yuki whispered dangerously. The cat responded with a low meow, rubbing is cheek against hers. "Ya…th-that's what I thought,"

"Honey, come help me grab the battery lamps please," Kagome called, returning with a burning candle. Yuki pulled the blanket tighter around her form, standing and walking to her mother.

Kagome opened the front door, the wind blowing furiously through the back deck, blowing out the candle. Kagome tossed the candle aside, grabbing one of the floodlights from the outside table. Yuki followed her out, scaping the land for possible damage during the storm. She could see the horse pasture that was added only 7 years ago toward the back of the property, the tin roof rattling under the pressure. She stopped when Kagome caught her hand, the two pushing through the storm and out toward a newly-built tack room. Yuki could feel the footing below her was mushy, quickly being drowned by the pounding rain. With a slight slip she gripped tighter onto her mother, following the path lit by the light Kagome held.

They made it to the shed, the two already thoroughly soaked as Kagome blindly reached for the latch. She threw the door open, the wooden frame shifting when the door hit. The two women rushed in, sighing in relief. The storm could still be heard raging outside, but Yuki was glad to drop the sopping blanket to the ground. She stood in the center of the tack room, arms crossed as she held the floodlight for Kagome. Kagome immediately began rummaging through boxes, ripping them open left and right. "Mama…hurry I have a bad feeling," Yuki whimpered with a shiver.

"I'm going as fast as I can Yuki-chan," Kagome uttered with exasperation. The two women froze when two hallowed clops filled the tiny shed. Yuki turned in time to hear the second pair as a large, white Lipizon stepped fully into the shed, his nostrils wide and flaring. "Yuki…" Kagome whispered worriedly, slowly reaching out for her.

"Storm…Calm down…" Yuki breathed, her hand slowly reaching for the horse's halter. Storm grunted and snorted, stepping backward when he found his rear end wouldn't fit back through the door. In a panic Storm gave a strangled cry, rearing up onto his hindquarters, his front hooves thrashing violently.

"YUKI!" Kagome screamed desperately, about to launch forward and grab her. The next few seconds slowed for Yuki as she stared at the panicked beast above her. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, her golden eyes wide with terror as the animal started coming down. Her body was frozen, immobilized by fear as her breath quickened, her jaw dropping. The massive body came down, his front hooves crashing down onto Yuki's chest, forcing her backward. She was helpless, pinned beneath his hooves as she fell harshly onto the weak floorboards which crashed beneath her momentum. The horse jumped back in time, his head moving nervously back and forth as he pawed the planks beneath him.

With the little consciousness she had and through the jumbled images she could comprehend, she didn't know why she was still falling. At this point Yuki thought she should have stopped after the floor broke, but she was still descending. She could hear her mother give a blood-curdling scream of her name carefully floating into her ears. She finally hit harshly onto ground, her body sprawled and numbed from the pain. She forced her eyes open, wincing while she breathed forcing her bruised chest to lift. She could see the blurry outline of her mother 20 feet above her, a look of horror stricken across her face as she reached in to no avail. She closed her eyes in defeat of the pain that seared through her body, a light violet aura covering her body.

Kagome watched below, breathing heavily, shaking her head. "Yuki, no, Yuki…Yuki…NO!" she chanted as she watched the light appear and engulf her daughter's body, taking it into the ground until the only thing Kagome could see was the bottom of the well. Tears filled Kagome's eyes as she collapsed onto the edge of the floor that was destroyed by the horse, her arm hanging into the hole. She burst into tears, her loud sobs being droned by the storms deep bellows. "Yuki-chan…" There was only one place someone went when that light took them from the well.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Yes here's chapter two, a little more plot building but she's in feudal Japan now so things will be more interesting for you I hope:) R/R!

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Yuki's eyes slowly opened, wincing as she sun glared directly into her golden orbs, squinting to block it out. She tested her limbs, finding them functional but in dull pain as she pushed herself into sitting position. She put a hand on her head, holding a sore bump which she acquired from the fall, the other placing gently onto her chest. She could feel a rounded bruise from where the horse had stricken her, but no broken bones otherwise. "Shit…" she groaned to herself, letting out a sigh as her head pulsed and throbbed. She tilted her head upward, staring toward the top of the well. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, not recognizing this surrounding. _Where did the tack room go…?_ She pondered, slowly bringing herself to her feet, using the walls of the well to support herself. "Hello?" she called, her voice echoing upward. "Can anyone hear me? HELLO?" she weakly punched the side, a small indentation beneath her fist.

She slid down to the ground, sitting with her knees to her chest, hiding her face. "Mama will come find me sometime…" she spoke reassuringly to herself. A few minutes passed by when a shadow covered the bottom of the well. Yuki noticed this, lifting her head and gazing upward, seeing a dark figure bent over the well. She stumbled to her feet, smiling. "Oh thank God! Please I need…where are you going? No, wait!" she cried out as the figure stepped away. "FUCK!" she shouted angrily, slapping her thighs before collapsing onto the ground once again, crossing her arms.

She heard a light whirring sound and could see something unravel within the corner of her eyes. Her eyes widened with a smile when she saw a rotted rope ladder, but a rope ladder nonetheless. "Oh thank you!" She murmured to herself, quickly climbing the splintered rope. She piled out of the well clumsily and onto her back, breathing heavily, the climb having took the little energy she had left. Her eyes widened when she was suddenly nose to nose with the man who had pulled her out, bright, crystalline eyes boring into her own. This made Yuki uncomfortable. _Very_ Uncomfortable. She glared, putting her hand on his face as she attempted to pull away, finding his grip tightening.

"No please, there's no need to fight it, I just saved you, it's only fair that I get a reward!" he stated in a low, husky tone. A loud crunch was heard and the man was on the ground, holding his nose in pain as it gushed blood around him. Yuki breathed heavily, standing and glowering down at the man.

"Don't you ever touch me again," she snipped as she looked around. "Where am I?" she demanded, whirling around to face him. The man had propped himself up against a large tree, which Yuki had just taken into notice with an inward gasp. Her mind flashed quickly to the tree just outside of the tack room, taking a picture with her mother in front of it.

"Now why should I help you again? You were very ungrateful last time," he said coolly. There was a pause of silence when a light smug played on the man's delicate features, taking another step forward toward Yuki. Yuki snapped out of her reverie, turning defensively. "Unless that is…you want to—"

"Riko!" A woman bellowed angrily, storming out to the two. She stopped, eyes popping momentarily when she saw the young girl, pausing to take her in. Yuki stared quizzically at the woman, looking around her to confirm it was her that was the object of interest. "Riko get back into the village your father needs you," she ordered. Riko gave a long sigh, folding his hands into his sleeves as he strolled toward the large jumble of huts.

"Ma'am can you tell me where I am?" Yuki asked calmly, her fingers fiddling nervously with each other as the woman drew nearer. Yuki froze, her body growing stiff as the woman placed a warm hand onto her cheek, carefully looking at Yuki from different angles. Her hard features seemed to soften, her hand dropping and clasping together in front of her with a nod.

"Come with me," she said with a comforting smile, heading in the same direction Riko had. Yuki's eyes scanned the land around her, none of it was familiar, she really didn't feel she had a choice. She sighed in defeat jogging to catch up with the woman, remaining silent. Once they had entered the village Yuki could see barefooted children playing and scampering about, adults trading and buying from the blossoming markets, it all seemed a little old fashioned to her. "Come on now," the woman prodded, noticing Yuki's attention span was slipping, chivvying her into one of the nicer huts. "Miroku-chan?" the woman called, looking around. A man came around the corner, holding the tiny hand of a younger girl who was crying.

"Yes, Sango-chan?" he responded monotonously, kneeling to the girl's level, using his thumbs to wipe her tears. "Kagome-chan there's no need to cry, Riko didn't mean it," he soothed with a smile, kissing her cheek. Kagome looked up with her bright chocolate stare, smiling and nodding with a sniffle. Yuki's pupils shrank, gulping as she heard the words uttered from the man's mouth. _Kagome…?_ When the man stood erect he cast his eyes on Yuki, eyebrows rising though didn't seem fully taken by surprise. "I see…"

"Ano, what's your name?" Sango asked cheerfully, pulling up a chair for Yuki. Yuki slowly sat down, looking up when Riko had reentered the room looking less than amused.

"Higurashi…Yuki…" she said shakily, her nervousness apparent in her voice.

"What about your parents?" Miroku piped in curiously, sitting on his knees next to his wife's chair.

"Why do I need to answer all of this to you?" Yuki snapped, her defensive, egotistic wall taking effect. Miroku sighed with a small chuckle, waving his hand.

"Simply because if you happen to be Kagome's daughter then we have an obligation to take care of you while you're here." Miroku responded with a hint of amusement in his voice. Yuki's breath halted, her eyes widening as she quickly stood. Sango stood as well, her eyes soft and pleading as she reached out for Yuki.

"Please don't get upset, just listen to us," she coaxed gently, the two slowly returning to their seats. "18 years ago your mother came to us—well, Inu-Yasha first—and traveled freely through the well. Inu-Yasha was a—"

"Hanyou…" Yuki finished, eyebrows furrowed. She had heard of Inu-Yasha, her mother had told her bedtime stories of the heroic things he'd done and no matter how tough the situation may have seemed, he always pulled through for them. But they were merely tales, this Inu-Yasha didn't actually exist…did he? Miroku glanced at Sango, an ear to ear smile crossing his lips as he listened.

"…Yes. He wanted to be a full demon,"

"To defeat Sesshoumaru," Yuki added, letting her face fall into her hands, rubbing with a sigh. "No these were just fairytales Mama told me when I was young…are you trying to tell me I'm in feudal Japan? With Youkai and War Lords?" Yuki snickered, standing and crossing her arms. "I know, he traveled with a priestess with the Shikon no Tama I know all that bull crap it was a very interesting story when I was young," she snapped in frustration. In the corner Riko sat with his legs crossed, rolling his eyes in annoyance as he allowed his smaller sister to plop down into his lap.

"Yuki-san," Sango started with a vague smile. "Calm down," she said sternly, clearly wanting to finish what she was saying without being interrupted. Yuki remained standing, glaring at the woman but remaining quiet. "Kagome never told you she was that priestess…did she?" Sango interrogated in response to Yuki's coarseness. Yuki faltered, eyebrow twitching and teeth clenching as she tried to stay calm. The more everything around her made sense the angrier she felt.

"NO!" Yuki shouted, stamping her foot childishly, her fists at her sides. "You can't sit here and tell me that any of this is real! Time travel isn't possible! When you've decided you haven't lost your fucking minds I'd like to know where I am!" she finished, storming through the deer-hide flap and back onto the dirt road. Riko immediately stood with a look of rage dancing within his eyes. He was about to follow when stopped by his father's calm hand.

"Calm down Riko, you know Inu-Yasha's temper as much as the rest of us do," Miroku said with a smile.

"That doesn't give her a right to insult us when we're trying to help her," he seethed through grit teeth, sitting with crossed arms.

"Just give her some time. She already knows the answer, she just has to come to accept it," Sango said softly.

-

Yuki sat beneath the majestic tree on its gigantic gnarled roots, hugging herself tightly. Her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks tearstained and pink from tears as she stifled a sniffle. Everything was happening at once. Since she was young she had the suspicion that Hojo, the man she called father, didn't have anything to do with Yuki's existence. Her mother had openly brought it to her attention, leaving the open-ended question: who? If Hojo wasn't her father…who was? The people she had met only hours ago seemed to know the answers to all of the questions she wanted to ask…but why couldn't she do it? Why couldn't she allow herself to open up long enough to find out who her father was? "Having fun?" Yuki sighed, closing her eyes when she heard the familiar voice, looking down. She remained silent watching as Riko searched for a place to climb, choosing a particularly wild root to climb. He climbed up before hoisting himself up the rest of the way, sighing once he sat next to her, staring into the night sky.

"You know…just when you think you have everything together there's always a new surprise to make things more complicated," Yuki said just above a whisper, averting her eyes to her lap. "I mean, I've always kind of known that, well, you know, Hojo wasn't my dad and my eyes and my smell," her voice began to crack, sniffling as she turned her amber eyes to Riko. "Am I Youkai?" She said defeated, her eyes wide with a child like sadness. Riko glanced over at her for a few seconds before chuckling whole heartedly, shaking his head with a deep sigh.

"If you're who you say you are," he responded in the same suave tone he had used before. Yuki returned to her fetal position, burying her chin in her knees as she embraced her legs to her chest. There was quiet, the sounds of birds chirping dully in the background and crickets singing loudly filled Yuki's ears, none of these sounds which existed where she lived today. The night was calm, serene with its partially clouded sky and the stars like diamonds tossed carelessly over midnight velvet.

"Tell me about my dad," Yuki half whispered. Though the statement seemed demanding, she was feeling very lost and would resort to dropping to her knees to beg for information on her father.

"Well…He's very quiet now. He doesn't speak much and when he does it's usually because he's pissed off about something. He still speaks freely with Kaa-san and pops, but when it comes to villagers he doesn't really acknowledge them," he started. "But apparently before your mother left he was very free spirited. He did whatever he wanted when he wanted. And even though he never admitted to it, his top priority was protecting Kagome-sama. I was 5 when she left and I believe she was pregnant with you." He paused, looking over to Yuki. "I think that's what hurt him the most. Knowing Kagome-sama was being forced back into her world with his child and there was nothing he could do as she disappeared."

"Why did she disappear?" Yuki asked quickly.

"No one really knows. When she added the last shard, the jewel went back into her body and she began to fade," he answered patiently.

"Mama…would never tell me the end of the story. She always got really sad and would have to leave," Yuki explained, jumping off of the root and onto the ground, staring upward with a mischievous smirk that mirrored her fathers'. "I'm done pouting, c'mon take me back," she grumbled. Riko raised an eyebrow before sliding down the root, grimacing when he landed as he quickened his pace to catch up with her. He stared at her behind, eyebrows rising with the first impression as he carefully reached forward.

Miroku gave a nostalgic sigh, smiling as he opened his eyes from his meditation when he heard a painful yell pierce the night. "Oh, how I know that sound…" he breathed. Sango raised an eyebrow, obviously not amused.

"Riko better be careful, you got off lucky Miroku-chan, I'm not youkai," she finished. Yuki pushed the hide aside a nasty look on her face as she entered, sitting on her knees next to Sango as calmly as she could. Riko strolled in soon afterward, holding his bloody nose as he smiled at his parents with an optimistic wave. Kagome giggled from her father's lap at her brother, a hand over her mouth.

"Hey squirt, wanna keep laughing?" Riko challenged with a childish glare, sitting with a cringe.

"I'm going to go find Inu-Yasha," Yuki stated boldly, Sango turning to her quickly.

"Yuki-san, I don't think you understand. Things here are dangerous. Inu-Yasha scouts the perimeter of the village. He's gone on a mission right now, if you wait, he'll come back," Sango explained, resting a hand on the young youkai's head. Yuki shook her head.

"I understand. I'll make it," she said cheerfully. "I want to meet my father!" she added. Sango stared at the girl, worry apparent within her gaze before melting into a soft smile. If she was truly her father's daughter, there was no changing her mind.

"Riko's going with you," she added blankly. Yuki's eyes widened, blinking incoherently, her head slowly turning to Sango. Riko looked up with curiosity when he heard his name, looking form his father to his mother.

"N-No," Yuki stuttered. "No way,"

"Riko is a trained Tajiya, he knows the territory and he can help you," A look of pure amusement flashed from Riko's features in Yuki's direction. Yuki sighed, staring at the ceiling, regretting telling them anything.

-

Riko looked behind him, rolling his eyes in annoyance as he gave a sigh to regain his composure. Yuki had fallen a good deal behind him while he had stealthily examine the area to make sure it was safe. He leaped skillfully into the next tree, dropping in front of her. "Can you walk any slower?"

"Shut up I'm not the one in tights," she growled, pushing through the brush that blocked her way. "Riko, I don't smell anything in this area,"

"Listen, I know Inu-Yasha's route better than you do—"

"He's on a mission asshole, he's not on any route, so until you can smell as well as I do, I suggest you produce something with his scent," She shot back with a glare. Riko stared down at the youkai girl sternly, diverting his stare to a clearing up ahead.

"Fine. Listen, we'll stay the night over there. And in the morning we'll figure out what we're going to do," Yuki tailed him as he nimbly headed for the clearing.

"What about youkai?" she questioned, staring at the ground with a cringe.

"Don't worry about them, in this part of the forest they're weak youkai, if they smell you they won't come,"

"And…do you want me to sleep on the _dirt?_"

"Yes, princess," he uttered with distaste, easily lying onto the ground with his arms pillowing his head. Yuki looked taken aback by his comment, squinting her eyes into a glare at the tajiya before carefully sitting, leaning up against a tree. She could already tell it was going to be a long, restless night.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Kind of a filler but it needs to be done, Kagome can't disappear off the face of the earth. R/R! It lets me know that you want to see more! ) and I completely didn't think about it…here's some translations for those who don't know…

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**Kaa** – mother

**Ano** – Umm, ah, well, etc (you'll understand the context when you see it)

**(O)Nee** – _usually_ used for a younger sibling, and younger children usually use it for older figures whom they look up to. _NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH 'ONI' WHICH IS OGRE._ I saw a fanart of Sasuke holding Itachi's lips open in a smile saying "smile Oni-chan!" and I wanted to say something but I didn't…

**-san** – a general ending of a name for when you first meet someone, usually used with the last name (can be used with the first)

**-chan** – an ending used for BOTH boys and girls when they have affection for each other (can be any kind of affection, not just romantic)

**-kun** – the masculine form of –chan and usually only used between boys (Ryouga's been known to call Akane 'Akane-kun' which means he thinks of her as a close friend)

**-donno** – master. The tanuki usually uses it with Miroku (can't remember his name right now)

**Anniki** – this is usually confused in the wrong manner. IT DOES NOT MEAN BIG BROTHER. It can be used with older siblings but is usually used informally for a leader (like Bankotsu with Jakotsu)

**Koishi** – Used between lovers…means…lover.

**Hanyou** – Half demon

**Youkai** – the form of 'demon' used in Inu-Yasha.

-

Kagome remained curled into the bed of hay strewn about the disaster of a tack room, her cheeks stinging from the tears that had long since run dry. She sniffled, her eyes half-mast as they stared blankly into the calm morning. Her attire was completely disheveled, muddy and damp with her hair scattered with bits and pieces of straw. She could hear footsteps hurrying in her direction, sighing with closed eyes. _Hojo-san…not right now…_ "Kagome-san…?" Kagome's eyes somewhat opened, not recognizing the voice as Hojo's. She could merely see a silhouette with the sun's vivid rays outlining his figure. He gave a small gasp, rushing to her side, "Kagome-san! Kagome-san…! Where's Yuki!" He breathed desperately. Now being only inches from Kagome, his bright, ocean blue eyes shown with worry. Kagome noted his short, black hair spiked in all directions with a pair of sunglasses perched upon his head. He was clad in a stoic business suit, tie tucked into his blazer. He waited for Kagome's response, his wide eyes attempting to come into contact with hers. Her head lolled away, tears reappearing in the corner of her eyes, shaking her head.

"She's gone…" she whimpered, bringing her hand up to wipe her eyes. The man forced her to stare at him, firmly, yet carefully, placing his hands on her cheeks to direct her gaze to his. She gasped at the suddenness, eyes wide with streaming tears before her lips parted in surprise, leaning forward to get a closer look at the man. "Kouga-kun…?" she whispered breathlessly before leaping onto him in a tight embrace. She could see he had definitely aged within the past 500 years, his skin showing wear, looking as if he had just entered his 40's. Kouga sighed, lightly patting her back, his free hand catching himself on the floor behind him.

"Where's Yuki?" he repeated firmly. Kagome pulled back quickly, hands clasped tightly onto his shoulders.

"How do you know—"

"Kagome! Where's Yuki!" Kouga said a bit more forcefully than he meant to. Kagome stared at the ground with remorse, her lips remaining sealed. Kouga glanced passed her, seeing the hole in the ground just above the well. He sighed, falling back onto his rump as he sat, rubbing his temples.

"How do you know Yuki?" Kagome asked just above a whisper, holding her knees to her chest, wiping her eyes once again. Kouga paused, rubbing his face before carefully setting down his sunglasses next to him.

"After you left…I returned to Ayame-chan in the North. You remember Ayame, right?" he asked, looking up to Kagome who gave a curt nod. "I talked to the Elder, Ayame's grandfather, and made a truce. I apologized to Ayame for all the shit I'd put her through when we were younger and I kept my promise. But it wasn't that I did it just to keep my promise, I loved her. I loved Ayame," he started with a smile, eyes shut as he reminisced. "With our packs combined we had to find a bigger den to keep our pack so we moved the pack to what's now Tokyo.

Ayame-chan went out for food for a litter of pups that had been born that morning and she never came back." He paused, running his thin fingers through his hair. "I was out scouting the premises, as I did everyday—it was my job as the alpha—and when I came back no one had seen her. I did what any mate would've done I went out for her. I still don't know why I couldn't hear her, there had to have been some way I could've saved her," he shrugged before forcing a grin. "Should've, could've, would've," he sighed. "I found her, and when I did she was already dead. I can only guess she'd found a kill and another pack of youkai fought her for it," he said before shifting positions. "I left after that. I was young and rambunctious, I only thought about myself and how upset I was, I abandoned the pack. I beat the shit out of anything I crossed and of course I came across Inu-Yasha," Kagome stared at him, heart dropping when she heard the name, hands clenching the materials of her skirt.

"What happened?" She uttered.

"I wanted with all my being to kill him. I wanted to honestly kill him. He hadn't done anything to me. But with this anger I attacked him and lost. He could've killed me, he had every opportunity to kill me…" he smiled, glancing up at Kagome warmly as he remembered. "He didn't. He didn't even have the will or the anger to kill me. He leaned over, helped me up and walked away. You changed him Kagome. You really have," the tears were welling in Kagome's closed eyes, looking up angrily.

"Where does Yuki have to come into this?" she snapped. She didn't mean to be cold, thinking about the hanyou brought up memories, anger and regrets she had bottled up within herself. Kouga stared firmly at the woman, swallowing a lump that began to rise moments before.

"Yuki-chan showed up about…17 years after you left," he started, Kagome giving a nod.

"She's 17,"

"I figured. I was still traveling, wallowing in my own self-pity. I had…gotten as much over Ayame as I was going to get. I went through the stages of healing, but I was still angry with myself. Ginta and Hakkaku found Yuki, attracted to the smell of you. Well…you know their intelligence. They brought her back to the den thinking it'd bring me back—"

"Kagome!" Kouga and Kagome looked up when an apprehensive Hojo stood in the doorframe, staring down at the two adults in their little powwow. Kagome hurried to her feet, her hands quickly clasping to Hojo's and leading him outside. Kouga stood, brushing himself off with red, embarrassed cheeks. He fixed his tie, standing straight before strolling in soon after them.

-

It was an awkward situation for Kagome to explain Kouga to Hojo. He knew briefly of Inu-Yasha but hadn't pressed Kagome about it. Kouga sat in the living room, his keen ears easily tuning into the angry hisses that Hojo emitted as Kagome attempted to calm him. Everyone's head lifted when there was a desperate knock on the door. Kagome and Hojo briefly locked eyes before she stormed passed him, throwing the door open. Kouga stood to get a better look at the gangly teen in the doorway. "Where's Yuki?" Yuichiro demanded to Kagome, looking as if he was on the verge of tears. He gulped, stepping further into the house as Kagome calmly shut the door behind him. She stepped up to him, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Tsunekawa-san…" She started with a solemn stare, sighing. "Yuki-chan went missing last night during the storm…as of the moment no one knows what happened," she explained. Kouga walked into the kitchen where the conversation was taking place, hands slung into his pockets as he leaned against the wall with arms crossed.

"All I know is that my girlfriend was supposed to be with me last night and she wasn't," he snapped, anger now apparent in Yuichiro's voice. Kouga's lip twitched, looking toward the boy who called himself Yuki's mate. He remembered him, but before he could get too into thought Kagome was chivvying Kouga towards the front door.

"I'm sorry Kira-san, we're going to have to continue our conversation later." She said shortly, avoiding his gaze. Kouga paused, staring down at the small woman, the usual fire that danced within her chocolate stare seemed to have hindered and burned. He gave a light nod before pushing his sunglasses back down onto his nose, stepping out as Kagome shut the door behind him. Glancing in Yuichiro's direction she could see he had made his way onto the couch, collapsing onto it with an audible sigh before turning to face her husband.

"Hojo-san…I don't know what happened. We were in the tack room and Storm came in. He was panicked, and Yuki was standing over where we built over the well. Storm reared up and came down onto her and it broke the floor and she just…disappeared,"

"Kagome-chan…" Hojo started with a pained smile, pulling her into a tight hug. "I went into this marriage knowing you weren't in love with me," Kagome's eyes widened before looking away with guilt, biting her lower lip before glancing up once again.

"I do love you Hojo….I do," she whispered, her chin drooping to her chest _Just not IN love with you..._ Hojo put a finger to her lips, kissing her cheek.

"And I love you, and Yuki-chan, regardless of whose daughter she is. I'll take care of the two as long as the two of you need it. But if you can remember Kagome-chan…when you came back to school pregnant with Yuki, you can imagine the reputation your family must've gotten. You were barely 16," Hojo said before an ear-to-ear smile crossed his face. Kagome smiled as well with a sniffle and a vague chuckle of irony.

"But they loved me anyway,"

"And they still left the shrine to you—"

"Oh! Kaa-san called, her and jii-chan will be back in two days," she said cheerfully. The color drained from her face, pupils shrinking as a hand went over her mouth. How was she going to explain Yuki's disappearance…?

"The truth," Hojo stated optimistically, tapping the end of Kagome's nose, kissing her cheek before heading back to their bedroom. Kagome turned on her heel to face Yuichiro, giving a longing sigh as she gently placed her hand upon his head. Yuichiro looked up spitefully, not directed towards Kagome, quickly standing.

"Where is she?" he attempted to say calmly through grit teeth. Kagome opened her mouth to speak when the boy angrily turned toward the door. "I'm not gonna sit around and wait for this shit, when Yuki comes back, just tell her to come see me," he grumbled before swiftly walking outside, slamming the door shut behind him. Kagome slightly jumped sighing as she pulled the rubber band from her hair, allowing it to cascade over her shoulders.

"Yuki-chan…I hope you're okay…" she murmured to herself before picking up a business card from the table, staring at it closely. "Kira Reiko…" her lips pulled into a lopsided smile of irony, carefully dropping the card into her apron pocket. _I haven't seen the last of you Kouga-kun…_


End file.
